Locking lamp receptacle



Oct; 22, 1929. F. H. WESTON 1,733,039

LOCKING LAMP RECEPTACLE Filed June 9. 1921 InVentor: 'F reclerick l'l. Weston,

Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES.

FREDERICK H. WESTON, OF SCHENECTADY,

TRIC COMPALTY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK PATENT OFFICE NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELEG- LOCKING LAMP RECEPTACLE The present invention relates to incandescent electric lighting and more especially to locking receptacles for mechanicallysupporting and electrically connecting in circuit electric lamps and also providing against theft of the latter therefrom.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved locking receptacle which shall automatically engage and hold against removal any lamp screwed therein, which may be readily unlocked by means of a proper key, and which may be manufactured at low cost. One embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is vertical section of a receptacle with a lamp shown in position therein; Fig. 2 isa top plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a detail view of the locking spring, andFig. 4 shows in side, edge and end elevations a form of key for use in releasing a lamp from the receptacle.

The receptacle is an ordinary commercial form and comprises a ase port-ion 1 to which are attached the usual screw shell contact 2 and center contact 3, and the cover portion 4 having a cylindrical opening in which the screw shell contact 2gis received. The two portions 1 and 4 are held in clamped relation by screws 5.

I provide in the face of the base portion 1 between the periphery thereof and the side of the screw shell contact 2 a square recess 6 and secure therein by a screw 7 a hardened steel U-shaped leaf spring 8, the free end of which extends through a hole in the side of and to just inside the screw shell contact 2 and is provided with a bent-up spur' 9 as indicated in Fig. 3. .The spur is made cam- .shaped so that when a lamp is being screwed home in'th receptacle, its metal end or base 10 engages and depresses it without noticeable oppositiom However, when the lamp -is turned backward the spur 9 gouges into the metal end 10 and efl'ectually prevents its unscrewing.

- In order that provide a screw 11 parallel tothe axis of'the receptacle which upon being turned in depresses the spring 8 sufliciently to move its spur 9 out of engagement with the lamp end. P

the lamp may be unlocked, I 1

The screw 11 is seated in a sleeve nut 12 having a square head atits lower end and located in a vertical aperture of the cover member 4. Its inner end is enlarged at 13 so that it maynot be backed'out of its nut and its outer end is rovided with a polygonal projection 14 I where y it may be'turned by an appropriately shaped key.

The key 15 is made somewhat longer than the length of an ordinary lamp so that it may be turned freely although necessarily disposed closely adjacent thereto and has its shank 16 in two parts loosely jointed by slot and pin connection 17 so that the main part may berotated on an axis atan angle to the shorter part in engagement with the screw 11. A spring 18 is seated in a cavity of the short part of the shank to yieldably hold the parts in alignment.

While I have shown and described the best embodiment of the invention known to me,

I do not desire to be restricted thereto.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A lamp receptacle having fixed thereon outside the lamp receiving shell thereof a leaf spring provided with a bent up spur at its free end adapted automatically to gouge into n and" grip the base shell of a lamp upon atconnected insulating base and cover por tions, a bent leaf spring fixed at one end to said base portion outside the lamp receiving shell thereon and the other end thereof projecting within the lamp receiving shell and provided with a spur adapted to grip automatically a. lamp base, and a screw disposed in the cover portion parallel to the axis of the receptacle and adapted to deflect said spring out of locking position.

3. lamp receptacle having secured thereto outside the lamp receiving shell thereof a u-shaped leaf spring provided at its free end with a cam-shaped spur projecting within thelamp receiving shell thereof and adapted to engage and prevent turning of a lamp in one dlrection, a nut seated in and at one side of the axis of said receptacle in alignment with said spring, and a screw carried by said nut and provided at its inner end with a head and at its outer end with a key en-.

gaging projection.

4. A lamp receptacle provided with a yield:

ter, and key actuated means located outside the lamp receiving shell and parallel to the axis thereof for positively depressing said spur out of operative position.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set I ny hand this 8th day of June, 1921.

FREDERICK H. WESTON. 

